THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT AMONG PAKISTANI YOUTH

Abstract

This study examines the effects of social media on the political participation and information consumption of the youth in Pakistan, looking at several factors such as platform differences, geographic divides, and overarching ideologies. The research looks at Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok to determine the impact of these platforms on youth political engagement, awareness, and activism with a particular focus on the gap in digital engagement between rural and urban youth populations. The study further looks into the effects of continuous exposure to political content on social media and how it affects the political identities and ideologies of the users over time. Employing qualitative secondary data analysis, the study focuses on peer-reviewed journals, government publications, and reputable media sources published in the last seven years (2017-2024) to examine social media behaviors related to accessibility, content preferences, and changing political engagement among the youth. The analysis reveals social media serves primarily as an information resource as well as a mobilization platform and interactive political forum, but also deepens issues such as misrepresentation, echo chambers, and polarization. There is a consensus among researchers that while the changing media landscape has democratized political engagement, there is also a growing concern about the need for risk-managed policies alongside increased digital literacy. These issues amplify social media’s participatory risks while obscuring far-reaching benefits. This study contributes to discussions about technology’s impact on political behavior in emerging democracies while providing insights into Pakistan’s shifting digital-political ecosystem.